Brief communication: Vitamin D serum levels in American tegumentary leishmaniasis from an endemic area in Northeast Brazil

Afiliação

(1)    Universidade Federal da Bahia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Salvador, BA, Brazil; Universidade Federal da Bahia, Serviço de Imunologia do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Salvador, BA, Brazil.

(2)    Universidade Federal da Bahia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Salvador, BA, Brazil.

(3)    Universidade Federal da Bahia, Serviço de Imunologia do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Salvador, BA, Brazil.

(4)    Universidade Federal da Bahia, Serviço de Imunologia do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Salvador, BA, Brazil; Universidade Federal da Bahia, Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia do Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Salvador, BA, Brazil.

Resumo

Introduction: The pathogenesis of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis is associated with different immune responses. Vitamin D may modulate the immune system. Here we evaluate the association of vitamin D levels with the severity of the clinical forms of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis. Methods: We conducted an observational study evaluating the association between vitamin D levels, disease severity and therapeutic response in patients with cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis. Additionally, we conducted a cross-sectional study to compare vitamin D levels in patients with leishmaniasis and healthy subjects. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as a serum level of 25 (OH) D < 30 ng/mL. Results: In patients with leishmaniasis, vitamin D serum levels were 38.5 ± 11.54 ng/mL, and 37.5 ± 10.43 ng/mL in healthy subjects The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was 23.3% and 20.0%, respectively (p = 0.72). There was no correlation between vitamin D serum levels, disease severity, and healing time in the mucosal leishmaniasis group. Conclusion: Vitamin D levels are not associated with neither susceptibility nor severity of tegumentary leishmaniasis.